Send a thank you note after your interview using these templates
If your interview’s over, you’re probably thinking, “Now that my interview’s over, do I need to do anything else?” Yes, actually, you do need to do one more thing - send a thank you note.
Send a thank you note within 24 hours
After you finish your interview, it’s important to thank the interviewer. I don’t mean while you’re still talking to them, although you should do this too, I mean afterward.
A quick thank you within 24 hours is expected by interviewers.
The reason you’re sending the note is because you want to give the interviewer one more reason to think positively of you. If you send it after they’ve already made up their mind about whom to hire, what’s the point? Send it quickly so you have a chance to influence them.
2 best formats for your thank you note
Best format: a LinkedIn connection request
A LinkedIn connection request is a fast and easy way to thank the interviewer.
It gives you one more chance to communicate with them and make a good impression and also expands your network for the future.
Email is another way to send a thank you.
Email and LinkedIn are both good options, but I prefer LinkedIn because using LinkedIn gives you a future connection with the person.
What to say in your post-interview thank you note
A note that says simply “thank you for meeting with me” is nice, but you should include more.
There are several things you can say in your note:
You should say “thank you for meeting with me.”
You can promote yourself more by reminding them of your skills or experience.
You can refer to something you said in your interview if you want to underline it.
If there’s something you forgot to say, say it.
Tell them one reason you’re excited to have the job.
Templates
Thank you LinkedIn connection request template
You can use this for the connection request message:
“It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about [company] and the [name of position]. I’m very interested in joining your team. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. In the meantime, I’d like to add you to my LinkedIn network.”
You can also use the same template as the email templates below if you want something longer.
Thank you email template
You can use this template for the basic idea and customize it with your own ideas.
Hi [Interviewer Name],
Thank you for meeting with me today. I enjoyed learning more about the job, and I’m excited about the opportunity to join [company name] and [do whatever you would be doing].
[Additional info if you wish.]
I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the hiring process. Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Sample thank you email
Dear X,
I would like to take the time to thank you and the hiring team for your willingness to speak to me on Friday about the X position. I’m excited by the prospect of working for X and adding my expertise to your team.
My skills seem to be an ideal fit for the X role, and to reiterate, I feel that I could be a great asset as I’m able to think and act globally in the area of X.
I enjoyed our interview and look forward to speaking with you again about the role.
Sincerely,
X
Are thank you notes really necessary?
There’s quite a bit of debate about this. In my opinion, you won’t get the job only because you sent a thank you, but you might be noticed if you don’t send one.
It’s just another form of manners. Do people really care about manners? I don’t think about manners until I meet someone who doesn’t have any, and then I notice. I think it’s the same thing with thank you notes. You don’t care about them until someone doesn’t send one, and then you notice.